Rye Whiskey

New Riff Kentucky Straight Rye Bottled In Bond
Distilled Spring 2015; Bottled Spring 2019

50% ABV
$50
Website

What the Distillery Says

BOTTLED IN BOND WITHOUT CHILL FILTRATION
100% RYE (95% RYE, 5% MALTED RYE)
AGED AT LEAST 4 YEARS

New Riff Distilling’s core Rye whiskey is full-bodied, offering hugely spicy character. Building upon America’s 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act—already the highest quality standard for aged spirits in the world—New Riff Rye is Bottled In Bond Without Chill Filtration. Featuring a unique mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted rye, it represents a new riff on our hallowed local Rye whiskey traditions. Aged four years in full-size 53-gallon toasted and charred new oak barrels, there are no shortcuts taken in its traditional production. All New Riff whiskeys are made with the full sour mash Kentucky Regimen; all carry an age statement and are always bottled without chill filtration.

Our distillers learned the black arts of the hardest whiskey in the world to make—the famed 95% Rye—under the direct tutelage of the distiller who mastered it in Indiana, Larry Ebersold of Seagram’s. Taking Master Larry’s instruction in hand, we put a riff on it to the tune of adding 5% malted rye, a unique twist that aids in pulling additional flavors out of the rye and adds a touch of the elegance of malted rye. New Riff Rye is splendid with a splash of water, and of course folds magnificently into classic Rye Manhattan and Old Fashioned cocktails.

TASTING NOTES
Appearance: Extra rich, unfiltered deep amber color.
Nose: Spicy and detailed, showing mint, black pepper, and vanilla with hints of orange and oak.
Taste: Cinnamon spice, vanilla and sweet toffee moving into a bold mouth feel with rich Rye spice, caramel and toasted oak. Complex flavors drink older than four-year-old.
Finish: Bold Rye spice with vanilla buttercream and lingering brown sugar, plus a mineral-grassy Rye tone that fades slowly.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Big time rye spice with mint, dill, citrus spice tending more towards lemon/lime than orange, some vanilla with cracked pepper, pine, and subtle oak.
Palate:  Nice creamy mouthfeel with a sharp rye bite, vanilla, mint, cinnamon, pepper, a lemon/lime citrus zip with a bit of caramel.
Finish:  Short with minty pepper notes and lingering caramel sweetness.
Comments:  I’ll agree with that that this drinks better that most four-year old ryes. I appreciate the non-chill filtration, and that definitely helps. This takes water well, opens up the pine on the nose and mellows the rye bite a bit, bringing up a bit of honey. I won’t lie – $50 for a 4 yr bottle-in-bond rye stung at the register, but in a blind tasting – I liked this markedly more than Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond (and only a tad less than Pikesville 110 Rye, which is a bit higher ABV and 2 yrs older). After listening to an interview with Ken Lewis by Bourbon Pursuit (which was after I wrote this review), I’m an even bigger fan – and can’t wait to see how New Riff’s whiskey is with some age on it.

Rating: Stands Out

Sagamore Spirit Cognac Finish Rye Whiskey

50.5% ABV
$70
Website

We would like to thank Sagamore Spirit and 360PR.plus for sending us a sample to review.

What the Producer Says

Baltimore, MD – Sept. 3, 2019 – Cognac heritage meets rye whiskey’s most storied region, with the release of Cognac Finish from Maryland-based Sagamore Spirit. This is the first release from Sagamore Spirit since the brand earned widespread recognition for its Port Finish limited time offering, which won “World’s Best Rye Whiskey” at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

After aging for four years in charred, American White Oak barrels, Sagamore Spirit’s Straight Rye Whiskey gets finished in French Cognac barrels for an additional 8 months, revealing warm notes of apple, vanilla, and brown sugar. At 101-proof, Cognac Finish is a bold yet smooth reminder of how Maryland-style rye can transform deliciously when finished in the right barrels.

“We know our two-mash-bill blend makes our Straight Rye Whiskey unique to start – and our team of distillers enjoys experimenting with barrels imported from famed spirits regions. We get the finest finishing flavors to explore with while maintaining what makes Maryland-style rye special and approachable,” said Brian Treacy, president of Sagamore Spirit.

Today’s release marks the brand’s second batch of Cognac Finish, after an earlier release earned Double Gold at the 2019 Denver International Spirits Competition. This second offering is available now for a limited time at an approximate retail price of $70 per bottle.

For those interested in exploring other Maryland-style ryes, Sagamore Spirit’s award-winning selection of whiskies also includes Signature 83-proof and Cask Strength rye whiskey. Visit www.SagamoreSpirit.com to learn more and find a bottle near you.

Nose: Pear and apricot, bold spice with aromas of cinnamon and vanilla.
Palate: Fruit forward with apple, smooth vanilla, and brown sugar. Warm oak finish with lingering velvety spice.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruitcake with notes of evergreen, floral, charred oak, a bit of balsamic with a hint of dill and roasted almonds.
Palate:  Rye spice jumping out of the glass with dill, mint, allspice, cinnamon, and pepper; unmistakably ‘rye’; a tad sharp with oak, subtle vanilla and an astringent fruity note of citrus and green apples.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with smokey oak and lingering citrus spice.
Comments:  First, this has a lovely color (and the bottle is fairly heavy as well with a fair amount of thought going into the design – even the bottom of the cork has three diamonds on it!) While young, this is a solid rye, and the cognac finish is more prominent on the nose for me. The palate is a tad sharp, but this takes water like a champ which softens those edges without losing the lovely spice notes. Another nice example of a finish that isn’t heavy-handed, and is complimenting the base whiskey without upstaging it.

Rating: Stands Out

WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye

50% ABV
$75 – $80
Website

What the Bottler Says

The spirit of entrepreneurship.
Fortune, superb taste, and hustle lead us to the discovery of an aged Rye Whiskey stock in Alberta, Canada. We rescued the stock from misuse as a blending whiskey, aged it in new American Oak with a bourbon barrel finish, then hand-bottled this rye on its own. We’re honored to present the most awarded Rye Whiskey in the world.

NOSE: Allspice, orange peel, anise, oak, char and caramel
PALATE: Sweet; hints of caramel and vanilla, followed by rye­spice and mint
FINISH: Long finish; warm butterscotch and caramel.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Crisp rye spice, pine, dill, lemon-scented furniture polish, allspice, soft oak, orange zest, mint, with a hint of peach cobbler.
Palate:  Nice rounded mouthfeel, bright/sharp, vanilla with a lemon/lime zest pop, some mint, oak, caramel, and pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with spice and caramel.
Comments:  This is a very solid rye, with all of the spice-pop you’d expect and hope for. I get a lot of pine notes in the Alberta Distillers ryes, and this is no exception. While quite solid, I’ve always thought it was priced a bit high. No, I can’t point to another 10 yr, 100 proof rye at the same price point (although just a couple of years prior, I was picking up 10 yr Canadian rye under the Jefferson’s label at only 90 proof, but for under $40). For me, while I do enjoy this, there are others I enjoy as much for less money.

Rating: Stands Out